Wind Up Emergency Radio UK: Hand Crank, Solar and Battery Radios on Amazon

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The UK government’s updated household preparedness advice, published on 22 October, suggests keeping a battery or wind up FM radio at home for news during power cuts and severe weather. Which wind up and battery radios on amazon.co.uk are worth a look?

The short answer: a hand crank radio with solar and USB charging covers you when the power and the phone signal both go, and a simple battery radio is the cheap backup. If you want DAB at home day to day, pick one that also runs on AA batteries.

Last updated: 26 October 2026

Wind up and solar emergency radios fill around a dozen places in the Amazon UK Electronics bestsellers this morning, including the SOLARBABY wind up radio at #4 and a 2000mAh hand crank radio at #9. This is a practical UK shopping shortlist on amazon.co.uk. It does not invent prices, ratings or claims beyond what the listings state.

Wind up and solar emergency radios

• SOLARBABY wind up solar radio, AM/FM, listed with a 2000mAh battery you can charge by USB, solar panel or hand crank, an LED torch, an SOS alarm and a phone charging output
• 2000mAh wind up solar hand crank radio, AM/FM, listed as recharging by crank, solar or USB C, with a 3 LED torch, SOS alarm and IPX3 splash resistance in a pocket sized body
• Emergency radio, solar hand crank wind up, AM/FM, listed with a torch, reading light, SOS alarm, 2000mAh power bank and a weight of 220 g
• Wind up emergency crank radio with 4000mAh battery, listed with solar, crank and Micro USB charging, a torch, a motion sensor reading lamp and a larger battery for topping up a phone

Battery radios

• XHDATA D219 portable radio, FM, AM and shortwave, listed as running on 2 x AA batteries (not included) with a rotating antenna and a headphone socket
• AZATOM Desire X2 DAB/DAB+ and FM portable radio, listed as mains or 4 x AA battery powered, with Bluetooth, dual alarms and a sleep timer, so it can live in the kitchen and still work in a power cut
• wind up radio search on amazon.co.uk to compare more models and colours

Open the live listing on the day you buy, as colours, battery sizes and bundles can sit under separate options.

Which one for which home?

• A kit that has to work with no power at all: a hand crank radio with solar charging
• Keeping a phone alive for a few calls: a model with a bigger built in battery and a USB output
• Cheapest simple backup: an AM/FM battery radio and a pack of spare AAs
• Everyday listening as well: a DAB and FM radio that also takes batteries

What to check on the listing

• Bands covered. FM matters most in the UK. Many crank radios also list a NOAA weather band, which is a US service and not used here, so do not buy for that feature
• How it charges (crank, solar, USB C or Micro USB) and whether a cable is included
• Battery size, and whether it can charge your phone
• Torch, SOS alarm and water resistance rating if it will also go in the car or camping box
• Whether batteries are included for battery only radios

Set it up before you need it

• Charge it fully, then test the crank and the torch
• Write the FM frequencies of your national and local news stations on a card and keep it with the radio, as the government’s power cut advice suggests
• Store it where you can find it in the dark, next to a torch

More for power cuts and colder months

• our rechargeable torch and head torch guide
• our AA batteries bulk pack guide for spares
• our hand warmers guide

Quick checklist

1. Decide whether you need crank and solar, batteries, or both
2. Check FM is covered and ignore NOAA claims
3. Check the charging port and cable
4. Charge, test and label the radio with your local frequencies
5. Keep it with a torch and spare batteries

Use the Amazon product and search links above to compare options on amazon.co.uk. This is a UK shopping shortlist for wind up and battery radios, not a lab test or any brand’s official catalogue.

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